Fact 4 



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A. A. R£C 



MORE THAN 3000 PACK INE 



lA.A.Pim40 - 

 NILS IHROUGH 

 fi LEGISLATURE 



In Every Session Are Many 



^ Measures of Interest and 



Importance to Farmers 



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Farm interests have constantly 

 been represented by the Illinois Ag- 

 ricultural Association at Springfield 

 since 1916 when the first legislative 

 committee of the organization was 

 appointed and sent to the state 

 capital to speak for agriculture. 



Since that time more than 40 

 bills, Initiated and supported by the 

 1. A. A., have been incorporated in- 

 to the laws of the state. The or- 

 ganization has been equally as ac- 

 tive in opposing legislation contrary 

 to agricultural interests. 



Among the first bills sponsored 

 by the I. A. A. were the pure seed 

 bill, the farm advisers' bUl, and a 

 bill to allow farmers compensation 

 for the slaughter of tubercular cat- 

 tle. The first of these was actually 

 drafted lay the legislative committee 

 of the Illinois Agricultural Associa- 

 tion, as were a number of other 

 bills. 



In every session of the general 

 assembly since that time, there have 

 been some bills in which the or- 

 gg^nization was interested either as 

 sponsor or supporter or as an 

 • opponent. Perhaps, the* three bills 

 with the greatest significance to 

 farmers were the state co-operative 

 marketing act of 1923, the gas tax 

 bill, and the state income tax bill 

 the constitutionality of which is 

 now being tested before the su- 

 preme court. 



100 Per Cent Co-ops 



The marketing act opened the 

 way for the organization of 100 per 

 cent co-operatives. The gas tax has 

 aided in giving the state an ex- 

 cellent system of paved roads, and 

 the income tax when fully in effect 

 will reduce property taxes and lift 

 part of the unjust burden from the 

 farmer and home owner. 



The growing cost of distributing 

 farm products early impressed farm 

 leaders with the need for legisla- 

 tion under which farmers might 

 form non-profit co-operatives for 

 the purpose of encouraging orderly 

 marketing and reducing the spread 

 . between producer and consumer 

 prices. An insidious attempt, made 

 by enemies of co-operative market- 

 ing, to pass a bill which would have 

 killed every co-operative in the 

 state, brought the matter to a head. 



In the 1923 session of the gen- 

 eral assembly, the co-operative act 

 was introduced and was the center 

 of a bitter fight which continued 

 throughout the session. Repre- 

 sentatives of the I. A. A. appeared 

 before both houses several times to 

 explain and defend the bill. Near 

 the end of the session it went 

 through without a single amend- 

 ment not approved by the associa- 

 tion, and is now recognized as one 

 of the best laws of its kind in the 

 country. :_^ i 



Favored Gas Tax 



Early in 1924 the executive com- 

 mittee of the I. A. A. approved the 

 following recommendation of the 

 legislative committee: 



"Inasmuch as we are convinced 

 that the question of tax on gaso- 

 line used for motor-driven vehicles 

 will come up in this term of the 

 general assembly, we believe that 

 our association should take steps in 

 advance looking toward the passage 

 of legislation that will place this 

 revenue in lieu of taxes already 

 levied." 



In 1925 several gas tax bills were 

 introduced. The only one that re- 

 ceived any favorable consideration, 

 however, was the lieu tax bill 

 drafted by the I. A. A. providing 

 that the revenue be used to replace 

 taxes on property and that it be 

 allocated to the counties in a large 

 part for maintenance and con- 

 struction of secondary roads. The 

 state apparently was not yet ready 



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From Every Part of Illinois Came Farm Bureau Leaders In Res 



other bills saw that they were 

 headed for defeat, they approached 

 the representatives of the associa- 

 tion and asked them to prepare 

 whatever amendments they thought 

 advisable. These amendments which 

 gave recognition to secondary roads 

 were prepared, submitted to the 

 proper committee, and voted by an 

 overwhelming majority. From that 

 time on the gas tax bill had the 

 support of the I. A. A. and had no 

 trouble in passing. 



State Income Tax 



Long before the passage of this 

 bill farm leaders had been studying 

 the possibilities of a state income 

 tax as a means of reducing the 

 heavy property tax burden on farms 

 and homes. The I. A. A. legislative 

 committee appeared before a com- 

 mittee of the Constitutional Con- 

 vention in 1922 and advocated an 

 amendment to the revenue section 

 to pave the way for such a measure 

 based on ability to pay. 



After attempts to amend the con- 

 stitution had failed both in 1922 

 and 1926, it was decided to see what 

 could be done under its present 

 provisions. In 1927 an income tax 

 bill, similar in many respects to 

 the bill recently passed, was in- 

 troduced but failed by 10 votes. 



Another income tax bill, prac- 

 tically identical with the 1927 bill, 

 was introduced in 1929. It passed 

 the Senate but was defeated in the 

 House, losing this time by only five 

 votes. In 1931 the bill for the third 

 time failed to pass, lacking only 

 two votes in the House. 



In the summer of 1931 Governor 

 Emmerson appointed the "Gov- 

 ernor's Tax Conference" Committee 

 to work out a tax relief program. 

 The "Conference" was composed of 

 40 Chicago and downstate men 

 representing the important groups 

 of Illinois citizens. 



I. A. A. Represented * 



This group chose an executive 

 committee of eleven, of which Earl 

 C. Smith, president of the I. A. A., 

 was a member. Omer N. Custer, 

 chairman of the state tax commis- 

 sion, and Ray Wantz, Rockford 

 manufacturer, were the only other 

 downstate men on the committee 

 of eleven. John C. Watson, director 

 of taxation for the I. A. A. and the 



the bill was passed early in Febru- 

 ary. Since the constitutionality of 

 the bill has been attacked and the 

 case carried to the supreme court, 

 the Illinois Agricultural Association 

 has assisted the staff of* the at- 

 torney general's office in defending 

 it and will continue to do so until 

 the final decision is handed dovm. 

 It is estimated that the state in- 

 come tax when in effect will reduce 

 farm taxes $7,500,000 annually and 

 cut taxes of other property owners 

 around $22,500,000 in a jfear like 

 1931. In years of normal prosperity, 

 the reduction in property taxes will 

 be considerably greater. 



It Was A 200 Mile Drive For Many 



for this legislation for it failed to 

 pass. 



Two years later when the ques- 

 tion again came before the legis- 

 lature, certain provisions of the I. 

 A. A. bill were not received with 

 favor. Other bills were introduced 

 in both houses providing that all 

 funds from the tax should go to- 

 ward the completion of bond Issue 

 roads. 



As soon as the proponents of the 



"original" proponent of a state In- 

 come tax, was invited to attend the 

 sessions and assist the committee. 



Finally, a bill providing for a 

 state income tax along w'th other 

 measures was drawn up and pre- 

 sented at Springfield with the ap- 

 proval of the Tax Conference. 



The representatives of the asso- 

 ciation worked untiringly for this 

 measure from the time the special 

 session opened in November until 



MILUONS SAVED THROUGH 

 L A. A. REPRESENTATION 



(Coihtinued from page 3) 



complaints, electric transmission 

 lines, and rural electrification. 



Pipe line systems were in process 

 of extension in 35 counties during 

 the year. As a result of the Com- 

 bined efforts of the I. A. A. and 

 county Farm Bureaus, landowners 

 of the state received approximately 

 $350,000 more for pipe line ease- 

 ments and damages in construction 

 than the companies originally of- 

 fered. 



Early in the year through the 

 joint efforts of committees from 

 Stephenson, Ogle and Lee counties 

 and representatives of the I. A. A. 

 an agreement with power officials 

 regarding settlement for an electric 

 transmission line right-of-way be- 

 tween Dixon and Freeport pro- 

 cured for landowners $20,000 more 

 than previously offered by the com- 

 pany. ;.v 



The I. A. A. also handled 26 cases 

 dealing with shipping facilities, 20 

 cases resisting the closing of local 

 stations, and 159 cases pertaining 

 to right-of-way problems such as 

 railroad fences, cutting weeds on 

 rights-of-way, repair of farm cross- 

 ings, and drainage complaints. 



In addition to this service, the 

 I. A. A. claims department collected 

 832 claims against public utiliity^ 

 companies totaling $20,159.88, mak^^f^'^^^ 

 ing the total amount of claims col- 

 lected by the organization nearly 

 $240,000 since this service was 

 started. 



Saved $25,000 on Soybeans OrT Jj 



Recently the I. A. A. suceeded in orfjaniz 

 getting the Interstate Commerce "Taze^ 

 Commission to remove the 15 per This is 

 cent emergency freight increase the tit 

 from soybeans, saving Illinois States, 

 farmers about $25,000 a year, began 

 Through negotiations with rail the tof 

 executives, the association was able 10. A i 

 to get a reduction in rates on Act 

 peaches into eastern territory rang- money] 

 ing from $23 to $99 a car An agree- vear 

 ment was reached with Illinois rail- brincrli 

 roads regarding intra-state rates on seventj 

 fruits, vegetables, dairy products, been* 

 hay, and limestone, resulting in a Were 

 saving Instead of an increase in the w^re 

 freight bill on these commodities, tions 

 Largely through the influence of The 

 the organization livestock rates tion 

 were lowered in eastern and south- brineil 

 ern Illinois, cutting about $100,000 getherp 

 a year off the farmers' freight bill, nroblef 



The association also recently fined l| 

 represented the interests of Illinois acrrici 

 farmers in important hearings be- T^ut ii 

 fore the Interstate Commerce Com- Farm 

 mission on soybean rates into Iowa slbnitl 

 and on a petition to remove the mllitaj 

 $2.70 switching charge from live- farmej 

 stock arriving at the Chicago yards lndivt( 

 by rail. The decisions on these handli 

 cases have not yet been rendered, cultui 



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DeKalb 

 Count! 

 A. 



when th< 

 Bureau 

 Kalb anc 

 organizat 

 known at 

 provemei 

 farmers 

 problems! 

 which arf 

 they sa\ 

 militant 

 the indi 

 before U 

 bodies. 



Farme^ 

 was notf 

 the crop| 

 the croi 

 importai 

 conceptic 

 Bureau 

 today. F^ 

 ing of 

 DeKalb 

 Agricult^ 

 as a f edc 

 reaus. 



W. G. 



vlser in I 

 S. Colllel 

 est advia 

 country,! 

 on Jui 

 County 

 tion hac 

 27, 1912,1 

 Soil an( 

 sociatioi 

 same y^ 

 counties 



tion t! 

 oroduct 

 for f ar^ 



p, To An Erne 



m 

 year: 



IRMED 



land Kanks 



)s Organiz 



^tablished 1 



joTTi 



foundation c 



Illinois was 



I Kankakee co 



)ns in these ci 



[first as soil a 



associations 



jcame aware ( 



affecting th( 



beyond thei 



the need fo 



)rganization 



ktry and repi 



hslative and : 



learned ths 



Ifinished wher 



(for market; t 



ras marketed 



ce to its prod 



gave rise t 

 lovement as 

 ir years after 

 le local orga 

 |ind Kankakee 

 ral Association 

 ration of coun 



[Eckardt, first 



JeKalb count; 



of Kankakee 



pr in point of s 



)egan work sir 



1, 1912. 1 



Soil Improvemi 



been organize 



[and the Kank 



Crop Impro 



followed on J 



lar. These we 



in the Unitec 



lef initj? -^rmei 



on a full 



Ion and marke 



liers. 



'Tazewell in ' 

 ie 1, 1913 Tazi 

 jd and adopte( 

 *11 County Far 

 said- to be th( 

 le was used in 

 fin 1913 eight i 

 ''arm Bureau w 

 il of organized 

 lyear later the 

 las passed a 

 [for county agei 

 i^e more counti 

 |g the total to 

 county Farm 

 Janized. and b 

 counties In ' 

 ttlve Farm Bure 

 (perating. 

 niinol.s Aerlculti 

 Irved first as a 

 K Farm Bureai 

 |to discuss stat^e 

 is. Its earlv effoi 

 largely to represe 

 ture In the stat 

 1919 the fnun 

 bureau visualize 

 h of a strons:, w 

 h organization 

 h In ouestlons t 

 luals and coun 

 And 90 the 1 

 M Association ^ 



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